River Otter Pups Debut At Oakland Zoo
OAKLAND (CBS SF) – The Oakland Zoo will be debuting three North American river otter pups for the first time Wednesday morning, just in time for Mother's Day on Sunday.
Rose, the mother, gave birth to a male and two females on Feb. 9. The male has been named Si'ahl and the females have been named Imnaha and Talulah.
"We are pleased to have our sixth healthy litter of otter pups since 2011," Zoological Manager Adam Fink said in a statement. "This is Rose's second litter and we are happy that she is once again being a great mother to her pups."
Zookeepers say the pups are still nursing, but they're also starting to eat fish and meat. Swimming is an acquired skill for otter pups, so zoo officials do not put them on display until they're strong swimmers and they grow to a "certain size."
The litter's father, Wyatt, is the only adult male otter at the Oakland Zoo. He was relocated from Abilene Texas three years ago, and has a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, according to Oakland Zoo officials.
TM and © Copyright 2017 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News Service contributed to this report.